The present invention relates to a portable, adjustable and angling head immobilization device. The immobilization device of the present invention has several applications where adjustability and immobility of the head is required. The present invention is uniquely adjustable and is capable of being angled between xe2x88x9215 and 45 degrees with respect to horizontal thereby accommodating patients in various postures in both the prone and supine position.
A major application of the present invention can be for patients in treatment settings who require radiation treatment of cancer within the brain and neck. When a high energy beam is used for irradiation of the tumor, it is critical that the beam destroys the tumor but not the surrounding healthy tissue. In order to accomplish this objective with acceptable precision, it is critical that the head and neck be maintained in a precise and fixed position with no possibility of movement. Specifically, with the patient in the prone position, the present invention can be used to position the patient during the cranio-spinal axis technique. This technique requires that the patient""s head is angled prone with an upward tilt geometry, which allows the radiation to exit inferior to the jaw instead of exiting through the jaw. The present invention can also be used to position the patient in the supine position. In this use, the present invention can be used for pituitary gland treatment. In this procedure, the patient""s head is angled for proper geometry so as to prevent the exit of the radiation beam through the eyes. The present invention can also be used flat or at the 0-degree position in order to treat the patient""s entire brain as well as neck region cancers.
There are immobilization devices on the market today with various deficiencies and shortcomings. Such deficiencies include lack of portability, difficulty in storing the device when not in use, incompatibility with available accessories or tables and difficulty in precisely and easily adjusting or angling the device. In addition, several patient positioning devices are not sufficiently radiolucent.
For example, several patient positioning devices contain metallic parts. In radiation therapy, metallic parts are not desirable, especially if they are in the treatment field. Metallic parts can cause increased elastic and inelastic radiation scattering as well as fluorescence which can expose the patient to unnecessary radiation. While the use of metals can cause unwanted radiation exposure, they can also reduce the desired radiation dose that reaches the target area due to their high radiation absorption compared to polymer and carbon fiber composites as in the present invention.
Some positioning devices are constructed of acrylic which provide lower strength to attenuation ratio than those constructed of carbon fiber composites. In addition, some positioning devices have cumbersome angling means, do not have interchangeable ladders or a slide lock mechanism that allows one handed operation and maneuverability. Furthermore, there are no commercial devices available that are collapsible and portable, or that allow a negative angle for prone positioning of the patient.
The present invention overcomes these deficiencies and provides mobility as well as precise and efficient adjustability in a light weight carbon fiber composite head immobilization device that is radiolucent.
The present invention provides a head immobilization device that is mobile and adjustable and is easily storable. The head immobilization device of the present invention can be constructed entirely of non-metallic components and provides exceptional radiolucency. Specifically, the present invention provides an angling head immobilization device for accurately and repeatedly positioning a patient""s head comprising a base frame adaptable to be secured to a treatment table; at least one pivotable indexing ladder retentively and detachably secured to the base frame; a pivotable head rest frame secured to the base frame that is adapted to receive a head restraint device; and a slide locking mechanism with at least one index tab for use with the indexing ladder.